Glycine + NAC: The Fountain of Youth?

Is it possible to improve or, better yet, reverse signs of aging? Previous research has suggested that deficiency in glutathione—often referred to as the body’s “master antioxidant”—could play a role in aging, and that supplementing with a combination of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and glycine, or GlyNAC, could improve glutathione deficiency.

A new randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial found that this combination boosted glutathione and improved or reversed many signs of aging. Twenty-four older adults and 12 young adults were studied. The older adult group was randomized to receive either GlyNAC or a placebo for 16 weeks, and the younger adults received GlyNAC for two weeks. Participants were studied before, after two weeks, and after 16 weeks of supplementation to assess: glutathione concentrations, oxidative stress, mitochondrial fatty-acid oxidation, molecular regulators of energy metabolism, inflammation, endothelial function, insulin resistance, aging hallmarks, gait speed, muscle strength, a 6-minute walk test, body composition, and blood pressure.

Compared to the young adultsin the study group, the older adults had glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, multiple aging hallmarks, impaired physical function, increased waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure. Supplementing with GlyNAC (and not the placebo) in the older adults improved or corrected these defects.

GlyNAC supplementation may be a safe, well-tolerated, and effective supplement that can improve or reverse multiple age-associated abnormalities to promote health in aging adults.